Candidates Square Off In Debate

LOWELL, Mass--Acting Governor A. Paul Cellucci and Attorney General L. Scott Harshbarger '64 squared off in the first debate of the gubernatorial campaign last nigh before a boisterous crowd in this former mill town.

Supporters, including several members of the Harvard College Democrats, waved partisan signs for their candidate and lined the street leading to the Lowell Memorial Auditorium.

In a typical Democratic-Republican face-off, Harshbarger portrayed Cellucci as a callous conservative who would not raise taxes even to provide health care for children, while Cellucci in turn characterized Harshbarger as a tax-and-spend liberal who would be fiscally irresponsible.

Harshbarger is trailing Cellucci by 11 percent in the polls, according to a survey taken last week by the Boston Herald and WCVB-TV Ch. 5. Currently 48 percent of voters support Cellucci, while 37 percent back Harshbarger.

Early on in the debate, Harshbarger took the offensive, accusing Cellucci of not standing by his convictions.

"This election is about one thing--trust. He's flip-flopped on almost every major issue," Harshbarger said.

Cellucci responded, "Scott has press releases; I have results."

The format of the hour-long debate containedtwo parts. In the first half-hour, eight randomlychosen citizens asked questions via videotape andthe candidates were given a minute to respond. Afive-member panel of reporters then askedfollow-up questions.

In the second segment, the questions camesolely from the media panel.

Although citizens asked numerous questionsabout the state's infrastructure, frequent trafficcongestion, affordable housing and day care, thedebate was rife with repeated one-liners andsparse with specifics on issues.

At several points in the night, Cellucci andHarshbarger went back and forth in verbal sparringmatches.

One such encounter started out when Cellucciattempted to defend his record.

"I vetoed the convention center because Ipromised not to raise taxes," he said.

Harshbarger: "Would you veto the conventioncenter again?"

Cellucci: "If it raised taxes I would."

Harshbarger: "Tell that to the businesspeople."

Cellucci: "We know where you stand on taxes."

Both candidates continued firing witty barbslater on in the debate.

"You want to run against Michael Dukakis andI'm not Michael Dukakis. And Paul, as we all know,you're not Bill Weld," said Harshbarger in a quipreminiscent of Lloyd Bentsen's 1988vice-presidential debate with J. Danforth Quayle.

Harping on the theme of taxes, Cellucci alsopressed Harshbarger as to why he would not sign a"no new tax" pledge.

"Do you remember the last time we had agovernor who did not support the no new taxespledge?" he asked, eliciting cheers from theCellucci supporters.

In the only question of the night dealing witha candidate's private life, a citizen inquiredabout Cellucci's personal debt of $750,000.

"How can you manage Massachusetts when you areso far in debt with your own affairs?" she asked.

Cellucci replied that he lost some money whenhe gave up his law practice and that he had to paycollege tuition for his children.

Despite the bickering between the candidates,the media panel forced the candidates to take astance on some of the major issues.

Harshbarger was asked whether he would sign adeath penalty law if passed in light of suchcrimes as the Jeffrey Curley murder.

He maintained that he would not support thedeath penalty, although he insisted that he wasstill tough on crime.

Asked about his tough primary battle withJoseph D. Malone '78, Cellucci described it as afamily feud. "Sometimes you have a battle withyour brother."

Harshbarger disagreed.

"This is classic politics as usual," he said."I asked Paul that we have no negative ads. He didnot agree."

The candidates did concur, however, when askedwhether President Clinton should be impeached.

"It's up to Congress to decide," declaredHarshbarger; Cellucci agreed, saying, "Let theprocess play out."Acting Governor A. PAUL CELLUCCI at lastnight's debate in Lowell.

The format of the hour-long debate containedtwo parts. In the first half-hour, eight randomlychosen citizens asked questions via videotape andthe candidates were given a minute to respond. Afive-member panel of reporters then askedfollow-up questions.

In the second segment, the questions camesolely from the media panel.

Although citizens asked numerous questionsabout the state's infrastructure, frequent trafficcongestion, affordable housing and day care, thedebate was rife with repeated one-liners andsparse with specifics on issues.

At several points in the night, Cellucci andHarshbarger went back and forth in verbal sparringmatches.

One such encounter started out when Cellucciattempted to defend his record.

"I vetoed the convention center because Ipromised not to raise taxes," he said.

Harshbarger: "Would you veto the conventioncenter again?"

Cellucci: "If it raised taxes I would."

Harshbarger: "Tell that to the businesspeople."

Cellucci: "We know where you stand on taxes."

Both candidates continued firing witty barbslater on in the debate.

"You want to run against Michael Dukakis andI'm not Michael Dukakis. And Paul, as we all know,you're not Bill Weld," said Harshbarger in a quipreminiscent of Lloyd Bentsen's 1988vice-presidential debate with J. Danforth Quayle.

Harping on the theme of taxes, Cellucci alsopressed Harshbarger as to why he would not sign a"no new tax" pledge.

"Do you remember the last time we had agovernor who did not support the no new taxespledge?" he asked, eliciting cheers from theCellucci supporters.

In the only question of the night dealing witha candidate's private life, a citizen inquiredabout Cellucci's personal debt of $750,000.

"How can you manage Massachusetts when you areso far in debt with your own affairs?" she asked.

Cellucci replied that he lost some money whenhe gave up his law practice and that he had to paycollege tuition for his children.

Despite the bickering between the candidates,the media panel forced the candidates to take astance on some of the major issues.

Harshbarger was asked whether he would sign adeath penalty law if passed in light of suchcrimes as the Jeffrey Curley murder.

He maintained that he would not support thedeath penalty, although he insisted that he wasstill tough on crime.

Asked about his tough primary battle withJoseph D. Malone '78, Cellucci described it as afamily feud. "Sometimes you have a battle withyour brother."

Harshbarger disagreed.

"This is classic politics as usual," he said."I asked Paul that we have no negative ads. He didnot agree."

The candidates did concur, however, when askedwhether President Clinton should be impeached.

"It's up to Congress to decide," declaredHarshbarger; Cellucci agreed, saying, "Let theprocess play out."Acting Governor A. PAUL CELLUCCI at lastnight's debate in Lowell.